Monday, April 18, 2016

LATEST PAPAL PRIESTLY ORDINATION, SUNDAY, APRIL 17

Every Ordination Pope Francis has had, he incenses those who are to be ordained prior to the Introit and Sign of the Cross. It seems to be that perhaps we should recover in the Ordinary Form the incensing of the celebrant at the beginning of Mass too, not just prior to the lavabo. What do you think?

PRIESTLY ORDINATIONS

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

Vatican Basilica
Sunday, April 17, 2016

Dear brothers,

These our sons and brothers were called to the order of presbyter. As you know, the Lord Jesus is the only High Priest of the New Testament, but in Him even all the holy people of God was formed priestly people. Nevertheless, among all his disciples, the Lord Jesus wants to choose a few in particular, because exercising publicly in the Church in his name the office priesthood in favor of all men, continued his personal mission as teacher, priest and shepherd.

After mature reflection, now we are to elevate the order of priests these brothers, because the service of Christ, Teacher, Priest, Pastor, cooperate to build up the Body of Christ which is the Church in the People of God and the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

They will indeed be configured to Christ the Eternal High Priest, that will be consecrated as true priests of the New Testament, and as such, that unites them in the priesthood to their bishop, will be preachers of the Gospel, pastors of God's people, and will preside over the actions of worship, especially in the celebration of the Lord's sacrifice.

As for you, beloved sons and brothers who were to be promoted to the order of the priesthood, consider that exercising the ministry of the Holy Doctrine will be sharers in the mission of Christ, the only Master. Dispensed to all the Word of God, the Word that you yourselves have received with joy. Take memory of your history, of that gift of the Word that the Lord has given you by the mother, the grandmother - as Saint Paul says -, catechists and the whole Church. Read and ponder diligently the Word of the Lord to believe what you read, teach what you have learned in faith, live what you have taught.

Whether therefore nourishes the People of God, your doctrine, joy and support to the faithful of Christ the scent of your life, because with the word and example - go together: word and example - edify the house of God, which is the Church . You will continue the sanctifying work of Christ. Through your ministry, the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful is made perfect because the joint to the sacrifice of Christ, that for your hands, in the name of the whole Church is offered in an unbloody manner on the altar in the celebration of the Holy Mysteries.

Understand, then, that you do. Imitate what you celebrate, because participating in the mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord, bear the death of Christ in your sin and to walk with Him in newness of life. Bring Christ's death in yourself, and walk with Christ in newness of life. Without the cross you will never find the real Jesus; and a cross without Christ does not make sense.

In Baptism you incorporate new faithful into the People of God. With the Sacrament of Penance forgive sins in the name of Christ and the Church. And, please, in the name of the same Jesus Christ, the Lord, and in the name of the Church, I ask you to be merciful, the compassionate. With holy oil will give relief to the sick. Celebrating the sacred rites and raising in the different hours of the day the prayer of praise and supplication, you will do the voice of the People of God and all of humanity.

Aware of having been chosen among men. Chosen, do not forget this. Chosen! And 'the Lord who has called you, one by one. Chosen from among men and made in their favor, and not in my favor!

In filial communion with your Bishop, strive to unite the faithful in one family to lead them to God the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit. Have ever in mind the example of the Good Shepherd, who came not to be served but to serve; to seek and save that which was lost.

Anything that makes the Novus Ordo look more like the Roman Rite is to be encouraged. Regarding incensation, the GIRM makes some suggestions, but doesn't say the priest must not be incensed after he incenses the altar at the beginning of Mass.

Regarding 'mutual enrichment', Malcolm McMahon OP, then Bishop of Nottingham and now Archbishop of Liverpool remarked that the OF had more to learn from the EF than the other way round.

Pope Benedict in his wisdom has given us the convenient fiction of 'two forms' which means that incorporation of EF elements into the OF is not technically a mixing of Rites. And the Ordinariate Missal, despite its restricted use, clearly demonstrates this principle.

Why couldn't someone do the Tridentine RITE in the vernacular? Most people who go use the bi-lingual, Latin/English booklets anyway to follow along, so why not occasionally just say the whole Mass in Latin using the gestures, etc. of the old style?

When I read the prayers and compare them with the NO Mass, I see how we miss so much of the Trinitarian theology, so much of the underlining or highlighting of our unworthiness, of the hurt of sin and the need for God's grace to restore our unity...

It makes one wonder why they jettisoned so much all at once rather than take the 'organic' approach. Like why jettison the reading of John's prologue? Why gut the 'jobs' of all the acolytes - reducing to 1 or none the roles to play on the altar (and then wonder where all the young men have gone!)

I attend an ER Mass when I can. I have a missal in Latin with English translation. (Baronius Press). Before each Mass I read the changing prayers in English (Intro; Collect etc.) paying close attention to the Latin text also. So, in addition to meditating on these prayers before Mass starts one might even learn some Latin in the process. The prayers that repeat: such as the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and even the last gospel become possible to read and understand in Latin because after a certain number of times one internalizes the meaning of the Latin words.

God does speak Latin. After all, the prayers are addressed to him by the Priest on behalf of the congregation. I find also that attending the ER I pay much closer attention to the Mass without the annoying noisy, banal music that one finds at most NO Mases.

Very High-Church Anglicans did indeed celebrate the Tridentine Mass in the vernacular (using the so-called 'Knott' missal, the last printing of which incorporated the 1955 Ordo for Holy Week). There is even an English version of the Graduale Romanum, although I for one would not want to sing it for a number of reasons.

Its use declined after Rome changed the liturgy and Anglo-Catholics tended to follow Rome in liturgical matters. Some Anglican Benedictines who had sung the Office in Latin only adopted English in the 1960s.

Since many of the most important prayers of the old Rite are said 'secreto' there is little point in saying them in the vernacular. Everyone knows why the Roman Rite was first gutted, and then replaced, back in the 1960s. And vernacularization is too much part of the problem to be regarded as a possible solution.

If this vernacular allowance is permitted for all traditional Masses, the Church's treasury of sacred music (which corresponds to the Latin Ordinary and Proper of the Mass) would be rendered optional and completely lost in short order (à la the 1960s).

Any potential permission for the use of the vernacular must be limited to the low Mass in order to avoid this serious loss of the Church's liturgical patrimony.

I have come to the conclusion (as much as I would like an EF vernacular) that it is wise to maintain it as is to preserve not only the chants of the Church but Latin. This is the way to do it.

I think that if the current OF Mass as is, but with the added EF items like PATFOTA, EF offertory Prayers, rubrics for the Eucharistic Prayers EF like, then we would have the English EF but it is truly the OF.

I left my old NO Parish due a dust up over the "new" translation that stemmed in many parts from concerns over what the words really meant. So it seems to me that clarity was not the goal back in 1970 or they could have simply used the right page of the '62 missal.

Bonus Question: John Nolan - can you recommend someone at the London Oratory a group of American University students visiting London for the summer could contact to discuss the history of the parish especially in context of English attitudes towards Catholicism. They are studying the influence of British culture on the US and I am trying to set up some slightly off theme excursions. Any help at all will be appreciated.

As for incensation, I think it's more important to recover its use at the principal parochial Mass than to alter the rubrics for incensation.

John Nolan makes a good point about quiet prayers. In fact, it's puzzling that those prayers the priest alone recites to God were ever permitted in the vernacular, especially the few remaining quiet prayers of the priest. Sacrosanctum Concilium permitted vernacular for the benefit of the faithful, a provision with no obvious application to quiet prayers of the priest.

There is no point to this, the TLM must be said in Latin that's one of many reasons we attend it. English just does not flow in the TLM, it was made picture perfect for Latin where it belongs, yes you can have the EF in the vernacular but really there is no point. I myself have attended a High-Anglican Catholic Mass in the EF form with Elizabethan English and it was stunning to say the least, Roman vestments, incense, altar boys only, deacon, sub-deacon, kneeling at the communion rail, and receiving on the tongue, Gregorian chant was in Latin, organ was used as well, Mozart, Palestrina, Hayden, I would attend this again in a minute. You should concentrate on fixing the Novus Ordo starting with: altar girls, lay lectors, women running around the altar,drums, guitars, dancing girls in leotards, felt banners, Protestant songs, polyester vestments', communion in the hand while standing, priests sitting on the side while women do the work at the altar pretending they are priests, people wearing shorts, tank tops, flip flops, hand holding, kiss of peace, well the list can go on and on. Folks the TLM is sheer perfection gestures, movements, all done with the utmost care, please worry about the "man made" Novus Ordo after almost 50 years you still can't get it right!!!!

Pursuant to your question, you could try writing to the Provost, Fr Julian Large, at The Oratory, Brompton Road, London SW7 2RP. Their website, www.bromptonoratory.co.uk has an online tour application form (type in 'history of the church').

The 11 am Solemn Mass on Sundays is a must for any Catholic visiting London.

Given your interest in 19th century English reactions to Catholicism, and indeed to the 'ritualism' in the Anglican Church following the Oxford Movement, which meant that many Anglican priests had to be counter-cultural, Fr John Hunwicke of the Ordinariate is the best and most entertaining speaker on the subject.

I could certainly lecture on the subject, but his wit and erudition exceeds mine. I live only fifty miles from London and it would be interesting to meet. Fr McDonald has my e-mail address.

John, thanks again. I will contact both priests to inquire to their availability. I will not be a chaperone this trip but am making recommendations to the syllabus. But I am hankering for another trip soon and will use Fr. McDonald to initiate contact. He has my address as well and you may ask him for it if there is anything I may do to repay your kindness.

Followers

About Me

”The views expressed on this
social network are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my bishop or the Diocese of Savannah.” Comments that I post do not necessarily reflect my views or the views of the Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah.
I am a priest of the Diocese of Savannah ordained in 1980 at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. I am currently the pastor of Saint Anne Church in Richmond Hill, Georgia. I am the former Director of Vocations from 1986 to 1998 and former Director of Liturgy and Diocesan Master of Ceremonies from 1985 to 1991.